Like this:

Kathleen O’Neal Gear is a New York Times Bestseller. She has successfully written in the genres of history, historical fiction, Historical Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Women’s Fiction. She has over 60 books published with more than 17 million copies sold. Her work has been translated in at least 29 languages.

I have been honored to know this amazing woman. Kathy has influenced me both as a strong, intelligent woman and as an author. She is humble, kind, and giving.

J.K. Rowling receive a Bachelor’s degree in French and the classics before achieving a postgraduate certificate in modern languages. Then, she taught English in Portugal. In addition, she not only gave the 2008 commencement address but also received an honorary degree from Harvard University.

As a young woman, I wrote to Ms. Auel. Each time, she was gracious enough to respond. Not only did she feed my love of reading, research, and history but she encouraged my interests in archaeology, anthropology, and prehistory. Her debut novel, Clan of the Cave Bear, left a lasting imprint on my mind while her approach-ability taught me that success cannot happen without kindness.

Like this:

I’m ready. I know I am, but… should I? Should I really be doing this? It was the question he worried the most about, feared even. My visions show things working out, but that doesn’t mean much. I know from experience that I can’t trust the reliability of my premonitions.

And, it was true; knowing the supposed future didn’t offer any guarantees. If anything, it complicated things. Decisions could alter the outcome, changing how a premonition was ‘seen’ compared to how it realistically unfolded. That didn’t mean the vision would be prevented, just modified. Sometimes, even with good intentions, a person could make a situation worse by trying to tamper with it. This was a flaw in his foresight; a flaw which Adam understood all too well.

“Have faith,” he whispered encouragement to himself. “Trust in the Creator.”

Adam delayed only a second longer before he traversed into the uncertain future, crossing the hidden divide; the fabric separating worlds. He moved from the shadows that paralleled the town, where unseen lives existed alongside unsuspecting, oblivious people. With his seemingly mundane act of taking one step forward, he effectively walked from myth to reality.

Realizing she was standing alone in an empty forest, Hannah had a moment of panic. “Oh, shit!” Looking around anxiously, she shouted, “Was I supposed to hold onto your hand? Because I didn’t.”

Before an answer could be given, she felt a vibration wash over her. The sensation grew and seemed to draw her into an unseen electrical field. The static charge made the hair on her body raise slightly. Oh, God!

The energy of the veil made her skin tingle and buzz. Wow! This is amazing, she thought, feeling exhilarated. Then, the world expanded around her, and she saw things that had been hidden only moments before.